Tag: Paula Creamer

Can a mom win on the LPGA for the first time since 2020? A local mom is in position at the Ford Championship

The last mom to win on the LPGA was Stacy Lewis at the 2020 Scottish Open.

GILBERT, Ariz. — The last mom to win on the LPGA was Stacy Lewis at the 2020 Scottish Open. This week, there are 10 mothers teeing it up in the Ford Championship, the seventh tournament on the LPGA’s 2024 schedule.

That includes Lindsey Weaver-Wright, who played high school golf in Cave Creek, Arizona, and completed her college career at the University of Arizona.

Weaver-Wright is playing in her first LPGA event since she became a mom to son Crew on Dec. 17. She opened her week with a bogey-free, 4-under 68 at Seville Golf and Country Club, which is hosting the inaugural Ford Championship

“I didn’t really know what to expect, so I just went into the whole week with very little expectation,” she said. “Got a lot going on in my mind right now. Yeah, Crew was just, it’s so funny just getting his texts from daycare, updates after the round. I just love it. My husband is updating me and he gets all the notifications, too.”

Her last shot in her last tournament before taking leave last October was a hole-out eagle.

PHOTOS: Ford Championship

Weaver-Wright trails co-leader Azahara Munoz of Spain, one of three to shoot an 8-under 64 on Thursday, along with Gabi Ruffels and Isi Gabsa.

Other moms playing this week include Sophia Popov and Caroline Masson, who played as a parent for the first time a week ago as well as Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Mel Reid and Hee Young Park.

Here are seven U.S. players primed to be future Solheim Cup captains

When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates.

When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates. So deep, in fact, that it might be some time before we see some big names take the helm.

Stacy Lewis recently named a record four assistant captains for the 2024 Solheim Cup, adding Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome into the fold. Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford return as assistants after working with Lewis last year in Spain.

What does the Solheim Cup committee look for in choosing a captain? Past Solheim Cup experience is a must. While winning a major isn’t a requirement (i.e. Rosie Jones), it’s definitely preferred.

And given how much the Solheim Cup has grown over the years, experience as an assistant captain will surely be seen as a vital component.

The list of players who should be given the honor is so long, in fact, that it’s hard to see how someone like Dottie Pepper gets back into the fold, though it’s certainly possible.

Here’s a list of decorated players who are likely to get the nod in the coming years:

Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome added as assistant captains for 2024 Solheim Cup

This year’s Solheim Cup will be contested Sept. 13-15 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.

Paula Creamer returns to the Solheim Cup for the first time in seven years in a new role as assistant captain. She’ll be joined by Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford. It’s up to the host captain to determine the number of assistant captains, and for the first time in Solheim history, Stacy Lewis has appointed four women to the job.

This year’s Solheim Cup will be contested Sept. 13-15 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.

“I’m so excited to have Morgan and Angela back for this year at RTJ,” said Lewis. “Then thinking about what I learned last year in Spain and from previous captains, I asked Paula and Brittany to join the team as well. These four have so much experience and love for the Solheim Cup, plus they’re my friends and all major champions too. I’m excited to see them in this role and to help prepare them to be future captains as well.”

Juli Inkster celebrates with Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome of Team USA after the final day singles matches of The Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 20, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Last year in Spain, Lewis was assisted by Natalie Gulbis, Pressel and Stanford.

Creamer, a 10-time winner on the LPGA, became the youngest Solheim Cup player in U.S. history when she made the team as a rookie in 2005 at age 19. Creamer’s 7-and-5 singles victory over Laura Davies in 2005 is the third-largest margin of victory in Solheim singles history. She also holds the record for most foursomes victories with seven.

“When Stacy asked me to be on her team for the Solheim Cup, I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” said Creamer. “My seven Solheim Cups are some of the best memories of my career, and I can’t wait to make more memories working with Stacy.”

Lincicome, a two-time major winner, has played on six U.S. Solheim Cup teams. She went 4-0 with partner Brittany Lang in four-ball appearances, a record for any U.S. duo.

“Serving as an assistant captain to the U.S. Solheim Cup Team will be one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Lincicome. “My years competing for the U.S. team hold some of the highlights of my career and my entire life.”

This marks Stanford’s third time as an assistant captain and Pressel’s second.

At 37, Paula Creamer tries to balance being a mother of 2-year-old with life on LPGA Tour

“I’m not out here just to be a name in the field. I’d never play if I didn’t think I could win.”

BRADENTON, Florida − After finishing practice on Wednesday, Paula Creamer, professional golfer, morphed into Paula Creamer, full-time mom, picking up 2-year-old daughter Hilton Rose from area daycare.

Hard enough is it being one or the other, professional golfer or full-time mom, the 37-year-old Creamer is attempting to juggle both, the added difficulty being her attempt to climb back up the LPGA mountain.

“Everybody out here is really good,” Creamer said, “and trying to balance being a mom, all of that, it’s hard. I’ve really had to buckle down and say, ‘Paula, you’re going to have to work two times harder than they are because I’ve got other things that I have to do.’”

At one time, the former IMG Academy student breathed that mountain’s rarified air. In 2008, Creamer made the cut in all 27 events she entered, winning four and finishing second once. In 2009, she twice finished second in 20 events played and tied for third at the Women’s British Open. In 2010, Creamer won her only major, the U.S. Women’s Open. She was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

But in the ensuing years, Creamer won just once, the HSBC Women’s Champions event in 2014. The number of tournaments entered decreased, as did the number of cuts not made. Wrist and thumb injuries forced her to miss the entire 2020 season. In 2021, Creamer entered seven tournaments, making the cut once.

Maternity leave again forced her to the sideline. Returning in mid-2022, Creamer made two cuts out of five tournaments played. Last year, the golfer ranked 19th on the LPGA career money list in earnings with more than $12 million missed the cut in 11 of the 13 events she entered. She ended 2023 ranked 872nd in the world.

Paula Creamer, of Pleasanton, Calif., waives to the crowd during round 1 of the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship in at Kenwood Country Club in Madeira, Ohio, on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.

But Creamer wasn’t prepared to hang up her spikes and devote herself to being a full-time mother, as evidenced by her appearance at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Her first round, a 1-over 72, tied for 58th, hardly was vintage Paula Creamer, but if it serves as a first step back up that LPGA mountain, the player nicknamed “The Pink Panther’ will take it.

“I love playing golf,” she said. “I love competing. And I want to win. It’s been a very tough 4-5 years for me. Everything in my life has changed, but I’m learning how to figure it all out. Last year I felt like a rookie with my daughter being out there, everything has been a new challenge, and these girls are good. Everybody out here is really good. I’ve made a very big effort in putting in the time and the work ethic into my offseason.

“I’m not ready to retire by any means. I love what I’m doing. But it’s very difficult to play bad golf, I will say that. I never really had to go through that in my younger career. It definitely makes me want to get back to where . . . I’ll never be (the younger Paula Creamer). I’m a different person. But I know what I can do and I want to see it again. I want to be in contention. I want to be able to be on TV. I want to show my daughter that you can be a role model … but I want to do it for myself. I want to prove to myself that I can do it.”

It took more than Creamer just wanting it to happen. She worked out, and gained weight and muscle mass, while completely breaking down her swing. To compete against the younger and farther-hitting players on the Tour, Creamer had to involve more of her 5-foot-9 frame in her swing.

“Swinging hard and missing the fairway is, like, OK,” she said. “When I was taught, it wasn’t OK to miss the fairway. Now it doesn’t matter where it goes. It’s hard to overcome that mentality. But I’ve gained 3 miles-per-hour on my club speed and I’m 37. I’ve gained weight. I’m doing the things that I can that I have to use to go against these younger girls and play.”

Remembering the player she once was caused Creamer to apply self-pressure to become that player again. She’s set to tee off for the second round of the LPGA’s Drive On at 8:09 a.m., and sits right near the projected cutline before the day begins,

“It’s hard to channel that nervous energy in a different way,” she said. “This year we put a lot of time into it mentally, and I want to be the best golfer I can be and the best mother I can be, and they go hand in hand.

“I’m not out here just to be a name in the field. I’d never play if I didn’t think I could win. I’m not just here to be on the LPGA Tour. I’m out here to win.”

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Players hang onto Solheim Cup bags like trophies — Paula Creamer made her first one into a barstool

“It’s just really special to be able to carry the USA bag,” said Allisen Corpuz.

Solheim Cup bags aren’t like any other golf bags. Angela Stanford views her Solheim bags like trophies. It’s a life accomplishment to make a Solheim Cup team, and for many, the highlight of their careers.

Rookie Gemma Dryburgh got emotional when she saw her European bag for the first time.

“We’ve gotten so much gear in our room,” said American rookie Cheyenne Knight. “Like every day it’s been such a surprise. Nelly got custom Beats for us all, so that’s really cool. But just every day we get something in our room.

“But my favorite is the golf bag because I’ll have it forever.”

Solheim Cup: Photos | Format schedule, how to watch

Stacy Lewis put a lot of thought into Team USA’s staff bags. There’s a pocket with 13 stars for the 13 past captains. There’s a pocket with 62 stars for the prior 62 Americans that have represented the U.S. at the Solheim Cup.

And there’s a yellow duck on the bottom of the bag in memory of LPGA founder Shirley Spork, an ardent Solheim Cup fan who liked to find ducks on the course when she played to take her mind off the competition.

“I wanted these girls to know how special of a group they’re coming into,” said Lewis. “So you know what you’re playing for. If you don’t know what you’re playing for, you don’t know about the history.”

Paula Creamer made her first Solheim Cup bag into a barstool. (Courtesy: Paula Creamer)

Paula Creamer made her first Solheim Cup bag from the 2005 edition at Crooked Stick into a barstool. Brittany Lang keeps her five bags lined up in her office underneath a collection of framed Solheim pin flags filled with the signatures of her teammates.

Brittany Lang keeps her Solheim Cup bags lined up in her home office. (Courtesy: Brittany Lang)

Morgan Pressel typically auctions off her Solheim Cup bags as part of the annual Morgan & Friends charity event, which raised just shy of $1 million this year for the fight against breast cancer. The bags can easily fetch a couple thousand of dollars.

Rosie Jones lines up her Solheim Cup bags from her seven appearances as a player and 2011 captaincy. (Courtesy: Rosie Jones)

Rosie Jones’ Solheim bags all have flags stitched on the top that represent places that are important to her, like where she grew up or where she currently lives. Gazing upon them all now, she said, brings so much pride and joy.

Rest assured, the next generation feels the same.

“Stacy’s put so much meaning into everything this week,” said rookie Allisen Corpuz. “And, yeah, it’s just really special to be able to carry the USA bag.”

U.S. Women’s Open champ leads list of notables to miss the cut at LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship

Those headed home early are getting a two-day headstart on a three-week break on the LPGA.

The first two rounds of the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, are in the books.

Peiyun Chien, a 32-year-old from Chinese Taipei, shot a 64 a day after posting a 66 and leads at 14 under, four shots ahead of the field. Chien has eight top-10s in six years as a pro but may finally break through in a big way this week.

However, several big names in the field this week are headed home early and they’re getting a two-day headstart on a three-week break on the LPGA. The Solheim Cup is in two weeks but the next LPGA event isn’t until the end of the month at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

The 36-hole cut came in at 1 under. Here are five big names who missed the weekend at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Jane Park returning to LPGA action for first time since daughter’s life-changing incident

Players will also wear ribbons throughout the week to show their support for Jane and Grace.

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Jane Park is set to play in her first LPGA event in two years next week when she returns to action at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Michigan, at Midland Country Club.

Park hasn’t played since the 2021 Volunteers of America. While Park was playing, her then-10-month-old daughter Grace experienced a series of undiagnosed seizures and subsequently suffered severe brain damage, now requiring full-time care.

Park’s husband, professional caddie Pete Godfrey, will caddie for Park. Grace also will be in attendance. Park will team up with Paula Creamer.

“It’s my honor and privilege to compete in the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Championship partnered with my great friend Paula Creamer,” Park said in a release. “With the help of family, friends and so many others, I’ll be able to see my LPGA family again inside the ropes one more time. I’m incredibly nervous just like I used to be when I competed full time, but I know my partner will pick up my slack. My husband Pete will be on my bag, so hopefully he will give me some good clubs. The cherry on top is that Grace will be there to say hello to her friends. I can’t wait for everyone to see her again and we are looking forward to making new memories with everyone.”

Last December, Anne van Dam raced a half ironman to raise money for Grace. The week after the incident, LPGA players rallied behind Park and Grace.

Special hats will be available to purchase at the Great Lakes Bay Invitational with proceeds donated to the Epilepsy Foundation and the Golf4Her Foundation. Players will also wear ribbons throughout the week to show their support.

“We are proud to be able to host Jane, Pete and Grace at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational next week,” Dow GLBI Executive Director Carlos Padilla II said in a release. “We hope to be able to showcase the incredible hospitality of the Great Lakes Bay Region to their family, while also helping bring awareness to epilepsy. Fans should plan to come out and support Jane and Paula on the course.”

U.S. Women’s Open special exemptions are always coveted – especially at a place like Pebble Beach. See which players received one recently and who might in 2023

Entries open for the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach next Wednesday.

Entries open for the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach next Wednesday, which means the most highly-anticipated women’s golf event of the year is drawing near. Golf fans get to watch the men compete every year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, as well as the occasional U.S. Open, but July 5-9 will be the first time the best females in the world take on the iconic course.

Once entries open, players also have the chance to apply for a special exemption. Those are few and far between, of course. Patty Berg received the first special exemption back in 1977, as well as ones in 1978 and 1979.

Juli Inkster is also a three-time recipient, landing special exemptions in 1983, 1994 and 2013. It’s doubtful that Inkster, a two-time USWO winner who hails from Northern California, would get a fourth exemption, but don’t be surprised to see the 62-year-old try to qualify.

Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr received special exemptions in 2021 at The Olympic Club. It would be surprising to see either player receive a second one.

Annika Sorenstam would be a no-brainer to receive a special exemption. The three-time USWO winner has never asked for a special exemption. She played last year at Pine Needles after earning her way in with victory at the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

Sorenstam, of course, came up short at last year’s USSWO and said that she didn’t plan to play as much in 2023. She would have to officially request the exemption for Pebble (which the USGA would certainly green-light), but hasn’t yet decided.

Rose Zhang, a former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, is exempt into the USWO after winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal for top amateur a third time. However, should the Stanford player choose to turn professional after the NCAA Championship, she would no longer be exempt. Zhang could always go through qualifying, but it’s worth noting that Michelle Wie West received a special exemption both as an amateur and a young professional before joining the LPGA.

Inkster, a three-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, also received her first special exemption shortly after turning professional as did two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Vicki Goetze-Ackerman (1993).

Laura Davies, 59, has expressed a desire to play at Pebble Beach, noting at last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open that she might try to qualify. Davies, winner of the 1987 USWO and 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, received a special exemption in 2009. The first British player to win the championship, Davies’ victory caused the LPGA to change its constitution, giving her automatic membership.

Of course, special exemptions aren’t given out every year. From 2010 to 2012, no player received one. The same was true for 2022.

Here’s a list of of the players who received special exemptions from 2000 to 2021:

Rickie Fowler, Paula Creamer to team up as part of PopStroke Team Championship’s TaylorMade $25K Showdown

Fowler and Creamer will take on the PopStroke Tour Championship team winners.

Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer are joining the PopStroke Tour Championship.

The duo will play as the Tour Pro team challenging the PopStroke Tour Championship (PTC) Team winners in the TaylorMade $25K Showdown.

The PTC is a three-day international putting competition (Oct. 26-28), bringing together 500 players, both pros and amateurs, to identify the best putters in the world. The winners of the Team Championship competition will play team Fowler/Creamer in a Made-for-TV, winner-take-all format for $25,000 on Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. ET in Sarasota, Florida.

The PopStroke Tour Championship will be featured on a one-hour live-to-tape broadcast airing on Bally Sports starting on Nov. 20.

Headquartered in Jupiter, PopStroke locations feature two 18-hole putting courses designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design. Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures has become co-owner of PopStroke, which recently redesigned and reopened its original venue in Port St. Lucie.

Fowler and Creamer are two of the most popular players on their respective tours. Fowler has been struggling and is currently ranked 167th in the world. Creamer, who lives in Windermere, returned to the LPGA in September after a maternity leave. Her daughter, Hilton, was born in January.

“We are thrilled that Rickie and Paula have agreed to compete in our inaugural Tour Championship,” PopStroke Founder Greg Bartoli said. “In addition, we are excited to partner with TaylorMade and Bally Sports as we bring this competition to a national stage in seeking the best putter in the world. The response has been incredible with players from across the country as well as players from several countries across the world. We are adding to the excitement by bringing a world-class Pro team with Rickie and Paula to challenge the PTC Team winners.”

TaylorMade CEO and President David Abeles called Fowler and Creamer “iconic TaylorMade brand ambassadors” and is glad they will be the faces of this new event.

“Alongside the platform built by Tiger and PopStroke, their involvement will propel this event to reach golfers across the globe.” Abeles said. “The TaylorMade family is proud to be a central part of it.”

The PTC event will feature two separate competitions in a 72-hole (four 18-hole rounds) tournament competing for a combined purse of $125,000. The Team Championship competition will have a maximum of 200 teams (400 players) competing for a $100,000 prize purse, $20,000 going to the winning team. The Stroke Play (individual) Championship will have a maximum of 100 players competing for a $25,000 prize purse, $5,000 to the winner.

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Paula Creamer and Azahara Munoz return to the LPGA as new moms at Dana Open

“You feel stronger, I think, as a mom. I definitely want to play well for her, not only for myself.”

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Paula Creamer feels like a rookie all over again. Only this time, she’s a rookie mom, competing for the first time on the LPGA this week since giving birth to daughter Hilton Rose in January. Creamer is one of two LPGA players coming back from maternity leave at the Dana Open as Spain’s Azahara Munoz returns with son Lucas, who was born in late February.

“I just feel very in control of my golf game, very motivated,” said Creamer. “It’s a different mindset than I think what I’ve had in the past, and I truly believe that is also because of Hilton. Just you feel stronger I think as a mom. I definitely want to play well for her, not only for myself.”

Creamer, a 10-time winner tour who last competed at the 2021 Amundi Evian, won the 2008 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club on the strength of an opening 60, the lowest round of her career.

The 36-year-old thought about coming back earlier to the tour, but decided it was too early for Hilton to travel – and she wasn’t going without her.

Creamer, who like Munoz had a C-section, said she got back to practicing a bit later than she had planned. She mostly stuck to walks around the neighborhood for several months until early March.

“Picking up the club was probably the easiest part of it,” said Creamer. “The mental side of it took me a little bit, but I was able to — we live so close to the driving range and practice area where I could bounce back home. It’s only 20 yards from where I live, so I was able to check in and out.

“At the same time, I had to tell myself, she’s safe, she’s good, she’s fine, go and do my job.”

Munoz didn’t miss a workout until the day she had Lucas, texting her trainer to let her know that she wasn’t feeling so great. Staying active until her son’s birth, she believes, helped her to bounce back quickly after taking off the initial six weeks.

Munoz’s husband Tim Vickers, a wealth advisor at FineMark, is in town this week and the couple is taking advantage of the LPGA’s Smuckers Child Development Center.

“Yesterday, walking in I was a bit – like you know when your heart is a bit tight,” said Munoz, “but as soon as I was there and they are so good, they grab the back and he’s mine. He’s good. I’m good.”

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Munoz battled anxiety, fatigue and hair loss before being diagnosed several years ago with Hashimoto’s disease, a thyroid problem that robbed her of precious energy.

“Like at the bottom of it, I remember we got a new puppy and I was so tired,” said Munoz. “Like I can’t even walk the puppy. Then I start thinking, what’s wrong with me? Why don’t I want to do things? So it’s never been that bad anymore, so now I’m feeling like pretty fantastic.”

The tiredness is still there, but thanks to medication, she’s feeling quite strong for a new mom now working from the road.

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Both Creamer and Munoz will be tuned in Wednesday night to watch Serena Williams’ final U.S. Open run with a new appreciation.

“I did see a quote that she did, ‘I’m going to from good mom to great mom,’ ” said Munoz. “It kind of hurts because it’s true. The other day traveling I’m like, ‘Oh, God, I’m putting my baby through so much.’ You know, it also has the positives. There are things that my baby is going to experience other babies are never going to experience. I really want to travel at least for a few years with him and see how it is.”

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Creamer got goosebumps on Monday night watching Williams’ daughter take pictures of her mom walking onto the tennis court. She’d love for Hilton to one day do the same watching her.

“It would be very easy to step away from the game right now and be content with my career,” said Creamer, “but I definitely want to do a lot more.”

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